The story of Golden Gate Park is of a windswept landscape of dunes that 150 years ago were transformed into 1,107 acres a public park. As beautiful as the park is, it is essentially artificial. The waterfalls, the gardens, the redwoods, the meadows — none of it was there before. Thanks to irrigation, horse manure and gardening, the natural landscape was transformed. And while I appreciate coastal dunes, it’s hard to argue with Golden Gate Park — it is the escape from urban life we all need at times.
But the story has a twist. This week I visited unspoiled nature with a lovely walk through some typical California oak woodlands. Hiding in the northeast corner of Golden Gate Park, generally overlooked by most visitors, is a magical place. A pocket of the original landscape that was never altered.
It is difficult to capture the woodlands in photos or a painting, but it was worth a try.
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